Effect of self-efficacy, goals, and task strategies on task performance.

Abstract : This study examined the effect of self-efficacy, goals, and task strategies on goal choice and task performance. Self-efficacy and task strategies were manipulated through training. Ability, past performance and self-efficacy were the major predictors of goal choice. Ability, self-efficacy, goals and task strategies were all related to task performance. Self-efficacy was more strongly related to past performance than to future performance but was still a significant predictor of future performance when past performance was controlled. Self-efficacy ratings for moderate to difficult levels of performance were the best predictors of future performance. This finding was replicated when two previous goal setting studies, which had found no positive expectancy-performance relationship across goal groups, were re-analyzed. It is suggested that the concept of self-efficacy might provide an integrating mechanism between the goal setting and social learning theory approaches to task performance.